This is why all the girls in town follow him all around..all a-round!

Tee hee - I'm feeling all flattered and all a-blushed

My talented and handsome author friend, Bosnian turned Swede Adnan Mahmutovic, wrote up something on his Under the Midnight Sun blog after reading my Woman Inside Out story -- I feel all special now, I told him - "it's all like I have been put under a light that shines me more than what I am"....that's how he makes me sound, as if I am a better writer than I am. Here are his words about my story. Thank you Adnan. *smiling*

I find it interesting to see how others interpret a story. Like, will a woman read it differently than a man? Will someone else think she did not sleep with the young man who approaches her in the mall? What is the signifcance of the ending? I wonder these things - for sometimes the answers are pliable in stories and novels. If you read it, tell me what you thought about those things - if you don't mind - I really am curious.

(A P.S. - Woman Inside Out is a bit more "contemporary" than TG and my gentle Virginia Kate - the first paragraph in WIO is a little stark, so I'll warn anyone who clicks on it that you may, or may not, feel a little bit shocked at the wording?)

Anyway, look for more for Mahmutovic (his novella will be out soon - and more)- he is a beautifully gifted writer and an insightful reviewer (not meaning my stuff, for he reviews much more important and bigger writers than I could ever hope to be) - whatever he reads, he lifts it up to a higher level; whatever he writes, he is no less transcendental, but there is that raw edge - where he takes something that could very well be so very bleak and makes it into something tragically beautiful. (As an aside, if anyone wants one of his REFUGE[E] books the Rose & Thorn is giving them away for a $10 donation. Here's a review of the book.) If you just do not like to donate to magazines, or times are tough - I do have a few copies of his book and will send you one - email me.

I'm in the line editing phase of Tender Graces - which is why I may seem scattered and scarce. AND! here is something exciting! Bellebooks and I are talking about the future books of Virginia Kate's life! That means more Virginia Kate after Tender Graces! Yayyy! I already have the draft of the second book written and hope to finish that by summer so it can go in the works to be published next year - keep your fingers crossed it all works out. I've always wanted to do a series of books about Virginia Kate and her family. I'm excited and terrified! *laugh*

I'm enjoying all the comments and the thoughts on rocks - and some rocks will be going back and forth between places to and fro *laughing* - more on that later.

Namaste.

Hey wait a minute Mr. Post man...Why I don't live at the P.O. A true Story

So. I get the addresses and prepare to send my little "thank you thoughts," along with "More than a mother's" BRIDA. And, thank you guys for entrusting me with your Realness - *smiling* ....anyway, I wanted to get everything in the mail soonest because I'm impatient like that, and because of snow and I may be housebound for a few days...or not...who knows.

I gather together some things, and some envelopes, and the addresses, throw them in my huge bag, and I head off the mountain into the valley to stop at Jelly Bellies (a cute little place to buy tourist stuff) and I pick up a few little tiny items, but they don't have all that I want-dang!...so, I leave with my few little purchases, and it's snowing. I sit in my car and start stuffing things in the envelopes fast as I can- oh geez! the envelopes are smaller than I thought (except for yours More than a mother!)....well, too late - I'm off the mountain, the envelopes are already addressed...

I go to the post office in the next town since my little town's PO closes from 1-2. While there, add extra tape to the bulging tiny envelopes with the stuff in them. I step to the counter and pile the envelopes there. The postman picks up the first one, More than a Mother's, and feels it. He looks at me. Then he puts the postage on it, going waaayyy off somewhere that's not the US. Then he picks up a little envelope, going waaay off somewhere that isn't the US, and then another going waayyy off outside the US, then he starts in on the US tiny envelopes. He feels each one and looks at me.

Finally, he said, "What is this bumpy thing?"

I answer, "A buckeye from my mountain."

"A buckeye? Are you from Ohio?"

"Huhn?"

"You know, Ohio Buckeyes...."

"Um, no...these are buckeyes from my buckeye tree on my mountain - my special buckeye tree! Here in WNC! "

Mr Postman says, "Wale, don't you'uns think these people (he holds up some envelopes) may have a buckeye tree around where they live and don't need your buckeyes from your mountain?"

I say, "Um, I don't know. Well, anyway I told people I was sending something from my mountain and...."

Feels feels. "Wait, what else is in here? This ain't just a buckeye in here!"

"Um, well, there's a rock in them, too...you know, from my creek or from a mountain walk...I think some people got a cherokee tear and then I ran out, dang, I need more cherokee tears - the others may have wanted a cherokee tear - shoot...Although this one and this one could prolly get their own...and..hmmmm..."

Tap Tap Tapping of tiny bulging envelope. "You'uns sending rocks, too?" Eagle-eying me.

Me, "Well...yes, and some of them might have something else, if I remembered to put things in the right places and all...and..well....some bookmarks of the mountains...."

"Don'choo think these persons who lives HERE and HERE may already know what a mountain looks like and don't need your bookmark with a mountain on it cause they know what a mountain looks like...? Especially THIS one..." (holds up an envelope).

"Um...well, yeah, but....see, these are ...the rocks and buckeyes are from MY cove...and the bookmarks were purchased from good ole Maggie Valley and I think it wasn't mountains, I think it was waterfalls or something..um ..you know? I mean...um..."

He pea-eyes me, says, "So, let me get this here straight - you are spending (this amount) to send buckeyes and rocks all over the world? huhn well...I'll be..."

"I think there may be a keychain or a magnet in a couple of them....um...if I remembered to put them in there..." Me fumbling in my gigantic Betty Boop purse to see if I lost any rocks, or buckeyes, or a keychain, or Cherokee tears that didn't make it into those tiny bulging envelopes....I fear someone may not get all I meant for them to get! oh! Oh! "Yeah, just little thoughts, you know?...um..."

"Uh huhn." he feels an envelope. "What's this? it feels flat and kinda soft."

"Um, it's a piece of bark."

"A piece of Bark....."

"Well, one of the people said they like nature and things from nature on the mountain, so I....put....a piece of....um....bark in there....with moss on it...."

"Wale, uh huh. I see..." (but his eyes says he doesn't see).

He busies himself putting them all in the bin to go out, feeling each one again before he throws them in the piles, takes my money, grins at me, and then says, "You have a good day now, Ma'am!"

I say, "You, too! See you later!"

I slide on out the door...not turning around to see if he's staring at me with that quirked up grin and twinkly eyes.

I walk out into a furious falling snow, get in my Subaru, and drive home with snow slamming my windshield - and I never felt happier. Pieces of my mountain going all over the world - even if they are tiny pieces, even if the person can get their own rocks or their own buckeyes, they don't have one from Killian Knob! Ha! And some of the buckeyes even have little indentions to rub your finger like a worry stone--that's what I do as I walk the mountain. And the rocks are ANCIENT rocks - yeah! from some of the oldest mountains in the world--The Smoky Mountains! ha! Yeah! I humm... la tee dah - I drive back to my little cove and go inside my warm little log house. All is well.

(google image of postman pat www.theplayshack.co.uk)